He laid traps, pretending to ride away from the ranch to town before dark, and returning cautiously by way of the trail down the bluff behind the house.

But nothing came of it.

Lazy A ranch was keeping its secret well, and by the time the trial was begun, Lite had given up hope.

Once he believed the house had been visited in the daytime, during his absence in town, but he could not be sure of that.
Jean went to Chinook and stayed there, so that Lite saw her seldom.
Carl also was away much of the time, trying by every means he could think of to swing public opinion and the evidence in Aleck's favor.

He prevailed upon Rossman, who was Montana's best-known lawyer, to defend the case, for one thing.